


Death is Strange

by allmagiccomeswithrice (bisaleth)



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Don't worry too much about the death tag, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Life Is Strange, M/M, Romance, Time Travel, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-07 23:16:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19095022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisaleth/pseuds/allmagiccomeswithrice
Summary: A storm is coming to destroy Moominvalley, and Snufkin has to watch his best friend die over and over again.  Death changes things.Loosely based off Life is Strange.





	1. Chrysalis

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't actually read any of the books, and I've still only seen very little of the 1990s and 2019 shows, so I hope my characterization won't be too horrible. I just had to get this idea out, since no one else was going to do it.

A storm pelted down on Moominvalley, flooding the river and sending Snufkin's tent and hat flying.

In his travels, Snufkin had seen many, many dangerous storms, but none quite like this.  Closing in from the distance, Snufkin could see the massive tornado eating up the sky, and he soon became aware of how feather-light his body was comparatively to nature's overwhelming power.  Even once he'd latched himself on to a nearby tree, the wind threatened with a great howl, and he knew there was no way his grip was going to last very long.

"HELP!" Snufkin shouted as loudly as he could manage toward Moominhouse, but to no avail as the rumbling thunder swallowed it up.

As panic began to drown Snufkin, his tree was struck by lightning, which broke it clean in half to send him falling haplessly into the sky.

* * *

Snufkin awoke with a start, gasping out the adrenaline until he was left with only the awful feeling that what he'd just experienced hadn't been an ordinary dream.

It stood to reason, and Snufkin needed reason quite a lot right now, that the fact he was weeks late in returning to Moominvalley was weighing down on him, leading to a nightmare of it being destroyed.  This was after all not the first time he'd experienced nightmares surrounding similar situations.  Moomin had apparently even gotten a fever waiting for him before, and the guilt he felt of needing so much space that his best friend had been badly affected weighed him down and caused him to worry sometimes.  That, combined with the awful weather that had delayed him on this trip back, must have simply resulted in a bad dream.

That was all.

In record time, Snufkin had retrieved his tarot deck and begun shuffling it as calmly as he could manage despite his suddenly shaking hands.  He wanted to do this, he had to check, just in case.  He had to be absolutely certain that everything was fine and that when he finally returned to Moominvalley, Moomin would be waiting on their bridge, eager to hear his new spring tune.

Closing his eyes and taking a careful breath, Snufkin steeled himself and drew his card, flipping it over and setting it on the blanket gently.  It took a moment for him to be ready to open his eyes, and when he did, he wondered if perhaps he should not have.

What greeted him was a horrifying image of a tall building being struck down by lightning in a storm, a visual echo of his dream.

"The Tower." Snufkin whispered, feeling as though one of his two worst fears had already come to pass.  Immediately, he reminded himself that it had not come to pass, as he was close enough to Moominvalley by now to have seen it in the distance before retiring the previous night.  Everything was fine, for now, but he had to hurry.

It didn't take long for him to pack up his things and get back on the path down the rocky mountain, too anxious even to bring out his mouth organ for practice as he usually did.

He was distracted and somewhat unaware of his surroundings, the nature that usually brought comfort feeling more like a calm before the storm.  Because of this, it took him a moment to realize someone had been calling his name from above.

"Snufkin!"

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked up to see Moomintroll on a path higher up, the steep area of the mountain, shouting at him from a precarious position.  Just seeing his friend, though from a bit further away than he'd like, relieved a lot of the stress that had been plaguing him, bringing a smile to his face as he cupped his mouth to shout back.  "Moomintroll!  What are you doing up there?"

Moomin began climbing down from the cliff to get to Snufkin faster than the winding path. "I was looking for-!"

Whatever it was he was about to say was cut off with a yell as his foot slipped at the worst possible moment, his body beginning to tumble and crack as he hit the sharp edges of the mountainside, completely unable to stop his fall until the momentum carried him directly to his intended destination, the final crash into a massive rock cracking open the back of his head.

Snufkin dropped to his knees in front of the body of the person he cared about most, blood seeping out from underneath the previously spotless white fur.

"No."

There were no other words in Snufkin's brain.  No. No. No. No.  The emotional whiplash of having been so excited to see Moomintroll less than a minute previous to seeing him clearly dead on the ground in front of him left no room for comprehension or grievance, only rejection of the change.

And in that moment, time seemed to do the same.  Things seemed to rewind before Snufkin's very eyes, reality itself agreeing that this event was simply incorrect and had to be undone.

* * *

 

Snufkin awoke in his tent, his heart beating through his ribcage once more.

The thought that it could have been a dream occurred to him, though it felt far too real, too vivid.  Without so much as shuffling it beforehand, Snufkin snatched his tarot deck up and looked at the first card his hand touched, turning it over without any hesitation this time and finding to his horror that it was once again the Tower.

Beginning to feel sick to his stomach, Snufkin rose and packed his things as he did before, but he decided not to retrace his steps, not wanting to trigger what he'd seen.  He took the path leading higher up the mountain, rather than head toward Moominvalley, he wanted to see if his Moomintroll would be where he was when-

Snufkin walked much faster than before, and he'd be running if he hadn't just been reminded of how dangerous these rocks were.

Further down the path, he could see Moomintroll meandering toward him and he immediately felt something drop inside his gut.  If Moomin was indeed here on this path, then what he'd seen happen had truly foretold the world in accuracy.  Only, this time, Snufkin was on the path with him, so there was no reason for Moomin to climb down and slip.  He'd be fine.  Disaster prevented.

"Moomintroll!" Snufkin did all he could to keep that choking feeling in his throat out of his voice, and it mostly worked.

Moomin looked up from the dirt and rocks he'd been gloomily watching to see just the person he'd longed to see, calling out to him.  "Snufkin!"  He took to a bit of a sprint in an effort to meet his friend half way, shouting in the excited babbling way he often did when they reunited. "I knew you'd take this path!  I just knew it!  Mum said not to get my hopes up too much because it was just a dream but I-"

The mid-sentence stop was too familiar, and so was Moomin slipping on a rock, the narrow path they stood on causing that to be fatal as he reached out for nothing and began to fall off the mountain.

This time, before Moomin could get hit by anything, Snufkin yelled out "No!", and the universe listened once more, his friend magically lifting back up and running backward, talking backward, before it released itself, giving Snufkin just enough time to run toward him and wrap his arms around his friend to prevent him from falling again.  Moomin still never got to finish what he was saying, his brain unprepared to deal with the shock of Snufkin's arms around him to save him from a potentially nasty tumble.

It took a confusingly long moment for Snufkin to let go of him, for it being nothing more than a quick save.  By the time Moomin realized it'd become a hug, Snufkin released him a bit, trailing his hand down to Moomin's and dragging him as far away from the edge as one could manage on the narrow path before letting go completely.

Eyes wide, Moomin let out a bit of a breathless sound of appreciation. "...Thanks, Snufkin.  Are...are you okay?"

Normally, Moomin did not need to ask Snufkin if he was okay.  Snufkin was just about always okay, and it hadn't been Snufkin that had nearly fallen, but the shaken expression on his face was not normal.  Pale and red-eyed was a horrible look for him, and Moomin never wanted to see it again.

A blink of an eye had it hiding behind a mask, but that was not as comforting as it may have been intended to be. "Yes, of course, Moomin.  You just scared me for a moment there, I thought you might topple down the cliff.  Ought to be more careful in the rocky mountains."

No big secrets ought to be kept between them, but Moomin had learned to understand Snufkin often needed a lot of time and space to figure things out before talking to others, so he let it go and decided he'd be ready whenever Snufkin felt comfortable enough to share whatever it was that weighed on him.  Slowly and much more carefully now, the two made their way toward their bridge, Moomin having changed the subject to Snufkin's winter travels to relieve the tension.

Everything was fine when they got there.  The creek wasn't overflowing, there was no tornado, and when he was fully calmed down, Snufkin began to play his spring tune.


	2. Out of Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moomin deals with Gay Panic™

Throughout the rest of that day, neither Snufkin nor Moomintroll confronted what happened between them in the morning.  It just hadn't felt quite right during the day when the others were so close by, but the very moment the sun set, they stole away to the field on the edge of the beach to watch the stars, Snufkin having decided he needed to tell Moomin the truth, if for no other reason than to have his input on the strangeness of it all.

The retelling was less terrifying when they were sitting in the gently swaying grass together, fear giving way to an odd kind of desperate peace.  Miraculously, Snufkin managed to keep his voice from trembling or revealing too much of how he felt as he recounted toward the world, not daring to look his friend in the eye at any point from beginning to end.

Moomin was a very patient and good listener.  In fact, Snufkin was certain he had gotten even better over their time knowing each other, taking a moment in the pause when he finished to appreciate his friend's ability to grow and change so much as a person without losing any of himself in the process.  It was something he greatly admired about him.

Once Moomin had enough time to take it in, he finally gave a proper comment, somewhat quietly, as if astonished.  "I had a dream that you would be there if I went, you know.  The path.  I though it would lead me to you, and it did.  But for you...the path I took lead to my death, twice.  Do you think maybe this is what was meant to happen, and you were supposed to save me, like you did?"

"I would like to think that.  Although," Sunfkin began, finally turning to gaze at Moomin to make his point, "That wouldn't explain my premonition of the valley being destroyed.  Of course, It could've been just a dream, but I don't think that's something we want to leave up to chance."

Moomin nodded in understanding before his eyes suddenly lit up, setting his paw atop Snufkin's hand as he leaned over to bubble excitedly. "This could be an adventure!  We could figure out the mystery together, if you want to!  You're like a superhero, and I-I could be your sidekick!"

The idea felt to Snufkin like a transformation.  From a supernatural event that could not be explained and which nearly took away his best friend, into a challenge to be overcome with all the freedom and choices he and Moomin could make.  It was just right, except... "I'm afraid you're just not fit to be a sidekick, Moomintroll.  You're far too different from me to be my underling."

Snufkin watched as Moomin's face fell, his hand beginning to pull away.  He misunderstood, and Snufkin smiled, as he would be having none of that miscommunication nonsense.  "Would you be willing to be my _partner_ , instead?" 

"Oh.  Oh!  Yes, of course!  Partners in crime!  Or, partners in...time, I guess?  ....What with your time powers and all." Moomin chuckled, a bit embarrassed with himself for the lame joke, until Snufkin began laughing softly with him, both of them turning back to watch the stars once more.

"I suppose we  _are_ partners in time, now.  That's an adventure I wouldn't find no matter how far I travel." Snufkin smiled gently as he leaned back to gaze properly at the stars,  feeling as though space and the terrifying events of the morning have finally given him a bit of clarity on something he hadn't been able to put his finger on for quite some time, now.  "You know, Moomin, I don't think there's anyplace or anyone I would rather spend my time with.  Only here in Moominvalley with you could something so ineffable happen."

The world felt, for just the slightest moment to be perfect in every way, as far as Moomin was concerned.  His heart beat rapidly in his chest as if attempting to escape his ribcage as he stared unabashedly at his best friend's profile lit by only stars and moon.  By now, Moomin has pined for Sunfkin for several years at minimum if not since the day they met, and hearing Snufkin speak so warmly felt akin to either flying on a cloud or drowning.  Moomin had yet to decide which, but the amount of thoughts swirling in his head about what his own feelings meant or what _types_ of feelings they were tipped the scales in favor of drowning.

He longed to be with Snufkin at all times, although he knew and accepted the fact that Snufkin preferred to be alone quite a lot.  The idea of kissing him had come to mind more times than Moomin would care to admit (though to be honest, he decidedly would not talk about that sort of thing anyways), but every time it occurred, he would shove the feeling down because it simply did not make any sense to him.  It was exceedingly clear he was meant to be with Snorkmaiden, everyone expected it and he'd done his best to make her happy in their relationship, even though Moomin felt deep down that perhaps both he and Snorkmaiden were only playing pretend.

But Snufkin was Snufkin, and therefore the way he felt about him was completely and utterly different from anyone else.  By definition, a Snufkin was special and treasured in a way that wasn't kept in a box.

"Snufkin," Abruptly, Moomin fully retracted his hand from Snufkin's, standing up and backing away a little, an extravagant hope and a crushing hesitation mingling with one another in a mix that felt something like a swamp in his stomach.  Suddenly the idea of being alone seemed like a smart one, because the path his head was going down could lead to the ruining of a wonderful friendship, if he wasn't careful.  "...I-I think maybe I should go back home now."

Snufkin looked like someone had just slapped him in the face, though the look was quickly schooled neutral.  Opening up wasn't something he did often, and although he wanted to think he didn't need Moomin to approve of his sentiment, in truth he had actually expected that he might feel the same way and make that wonderful face he always did whenever Snufkin delayed his leave for the winter to spend more time with him.  Instead, he'd practically been pushed aside.

Standing up to step toward his friend, Snufkin took a long breath to steel himself before the courage to speak made itself known only due to concern.  "Moomin, are you ....alright?"

Just as Moomin opened his mouth to speak, he noticed their proximity and stepped backwards once more and found there to be no ground on which to step, missing the grass entirely and tumbling over the edge, banging into the rocks before slamming directly into the dark water.

A sick feeling coiled through Snufkin as he formed a word despite the need to throw up. "No."

Short, simple, quiet, even.  The air grew heavy with time magic as events unplayed themselves until before Moomin had heard him slip up with being too transparent about his feelings, and then as before, time released and returned to the natural order.  Moomin was surprised to see Snufkin standing on the edge of the cliff instead of sitting next to him as he had been only a moment previous, but said nothing but his name to express the shock and confusion.

Snufkin himself had decided not to move or turn around to face the newly alive Moomin, instead watching the shadowed rocks and rough water lap against the bottom of the cliff, a horribly dark and gloomy spot in which someone like Moomin to have died.  If Moomin was still dying, then nowhere was safe.  It took a lot to pry his eyes away, but when he did, he was glad for his hat covering most of his face in the dim lighting.  "I hate to intrude, but would you mind if I stayed with you in Moominhouse tonight?"

Of course, he needn't have asked.  Moomin's room was his room too, as far as just about everyone seemed to be concerned.

Moomin certainly wasn't about to object.


End file.
